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April 4, 2004

La Dictée des Amériques

If I could establish in just a few words my peaceful childhood as a spelling bee champion, collecting on shelves the handheld water games I received as trophies, the smooth and odd resistance of the push button, which slowly propulsed hooks on a dolphin’s nose, or little balls in a whale’s mouth, because one has to include calming recreation from her spelling bee champ routine - well, it has now been established. You might think my spelling abilities all went downhill from there, if you have been a reader of this page since yesterday.

Still every year, I feel quivers of anticipation for La Dictée des Amériques. It is a french tradition that can be traced back to immemorial times, an event that my friends and I wouldn’t miss for the world. You only need to fill up bowls of Humpty-Dumpty chips, glasses of orange soda, and some sort of handkerchief to wipe off potato chips crumbs from your greasy fingers as you take along the dictation from the TV host. Such fun!

Writer Gaétan Soucy elaborated this year’s edition. Of course, it promised to be filled to the brim with traps, neologisms, faux-amis, and infuriation. It usually end in tears, but it is a tradition; families gather around the television, throw ballpoint caps at each other, then we all go make up at the sugarshack. I tell you, it is much fun, really.

So today, half an hour before the TV5 rediffusion, I decided to ring up the best people in this city, my friends K. and K., trying to entice with promises of coffee-baileys. But I got an unanimous “Uuuurggh nooo not this year…”. I know it sucks that the whole thing starts at 8:30 AM. “I do not like your tone!”, I said, but they had already hung up. So I went to sit in front of the television, and soon fell asleep, as the soothing sounds of the theme song rolled in.

Posted by nathalie at April 4, 2004 11:54 AM

Comments

I suddenly remembered that my mom used to always use the word ‘beaucoup’ when I was a kid. As in, I think the Dictée would be beaucoup fun, if not for my awful French. She doesn’t say that anymore.

I was the district spelling bee champ in high school, but I was replaced by a machine. Now look at me. Downhill from there, indeed.

Posted by: jacob on April 5, 2004 1:36 PM